Announcing the winning concept design to honour Terry Fox on Toronto’s waterfront
Art installation honouring Terry Fox selected for Toronto’s waterfront
Torontonians to explore winning ‘optical illusion’
March 21, 2019, Toronto, ON – A public art and landscape installation inspired by Terry Fox’s legacy has been selected as a new keystone of Toronto's waterfront. Led by Legacy Art Project Toronto (LAPT), the new work will be unveiled in Fall 2020 to help mark the 40th anniversary of Fox’s cross-Canada Marathon of Hope.
Designed by Jon Sasaki and DTAH, We Are Shaped by the Obstacles We Face, draws waterfront visitors along a curving, landscaped path that is obscured by one-storey-high sculpted granite slabs. From the installation’s west end, they present as a single figure – the iconic silhouette of Fox, midstride.
“The granite sculptures act as an optical illusion inviting pedestrians to consider obstacles as opportunities,” Sasaki says. “The design strives to convey Terry Fox’s legacy in an experiential way, to inspire people to keep pushing forward and to recognize all that can be achieved with a collective perspective.”
Last summer, Toronto City Council named more than 4,000 square metres of waterfront space at 439 Queen’s Quay, between the Music Garden and the Spadina Quay Wetlands, as the new home for a permanent, citizen-funded art-park reflecting the values Fox exemplified: innovation, perseverance, courage, community engagement and hope.
Toronto City Councillor Joe Cressy, representing the ward in which the art park will be located, congratulates Sasaki and DTAH, a multidisciplinary design firm with James Roche as the lead landscape architect, “... on the creation of an evocative public space that Torontonians and city visitors will enjoy for generations to come, one that is a gift to the city and to all Torontonians.”
An open, national design competition, facilitated by seasoned art consultant Rebecca Carbin, Principal of Art + Public Unltd, was conducted in the fall of 2018. The jury, comprised of art and design luminaries, selected the finalist after receiving proposals from five Canadian artist and landscape architecture teams. They chose the winning piece following a reception at Fort York that also welcomed Fox’s biographer, Leslie Scrivener and Councillor Cressy.
Isadore Sharp, founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and founder of the Terry Fox Run, pledged his personal support for this tribute to Terry which “would become a Toronto landmark, both a place for reflection and a catalyst for future fundraising, so that Terry’s goal of finding a cure for cancer can be achieved.” He added, “His fight became our fight and a lasting tribute to Terry is a reminder to us all to never back down in the face of adversity.”
To support the installation’s construction, the Legacy Art Project invites the support of Canadians: donate, follow us and join us.
images supplied courtesy of Jon Sasaki and DTAH
About The Legacy Art Project:
The Legacy Art Project, working with the City of Toronto, will build a permanent public art and landscape installation inspired by Terry Fox’s legacy. The art and landscape design that was revealed in a juried public art competition will create a setting to inspire visitors, ignite passion, spark action and create impact. Legacy Art Project Toronto and its working group include diverse members of Toronto’s community from business and civic leaders to philanthropists, planners, architects and dedicated volunteers. To be part of Terry Fox’s Legacy you can help us by making a donation, following us or joining us to learn more at www.legacyartproject.com.
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Shari Cogan, CoganPR, shari @ coganpr .com
Our big announcement! Coming March 21st
Stay tuned here as we gear up to make the announcement of the Jury’s decision for final concept design and artistic team for the Legacy Art Project…inspired by Terry Fox.
An open, national design competition, facilitated by seasoned art consultant Rebecca Carbin, Principal of Art + Public Unltd, was conducted in the fall of 2018. The jury, comprised of art and design luminaries, selected the finalist this Spring after receiving proposals from five Canadian artist and landscape architecture teams.
The short-listed concept designs were unveiled in Toronto on January 29th, 2019 and our Jury made their selection in February. We will share the stunning final concept with the public on March 21st, 2019.
We look forward to sharing this important milestone with you later this week.
Much gratitude for joining us!
We were humbled and thrilled for the turn-out for our unveiling event of the 5 shortlisted concept designs for the Legacy Art Project. Thank you, thank you, to all those that came out. A special thanks to the five artist teams who’ve continued to go above and beyond our imagination with their incredible vision for our project.
Come Meet Us! Public Viewing: Design Concepts
Join us for the public viewing of The Legacy Art Project's shortlisted concepts for a public art and landscape installation inspired by Terry Fox.
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On Tuesday, January 29th, the citizen-powered Legacy Art Project (LAPT), a public art and landscape project inspired by Terry Fox on the Waterfront will unveil 5 design concepts for this new public space in Toronto. The volunteer Steering Committee will host an 'Open House' event to formally showcase the 5 final art expressions created by Jury-selected teams of eminent artists and landscape architects. This event brings the project one step closer to having a new permanent public art and landscape installation on Toronto’s Waterfront.
From the final concepts being unveiled, the Jury will then select the winning artist-led design this February. This event brings us one step closer to a permanent home on the picturesque waterfront site located between the Toronto Music Garden and the Spadina wetlands.
Community Presentation
WHEN: Tuesday, January 29th from 7:00pm – 9:00pm
WHERE: Fort York Visitors Centre, 250 Fort York Boulevard
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Artist-led teams participating:
Toronto based Luis Jacob and Adrian Blackwell with Jane Hutton Landscape Architect
Vancouver born artist Kenneth Lum with Space2Place
Toronto based artist Jon Sasaki with DTAH
Vancouver based artist Myfanwy MacLeod with Hapa Collaborative
Berlin based, Canadian artist Maxwell Stephens with North Design Office
PRESS: Thank you Canadian Architect
We’re thrilled that industry news Canadian Architect joins us in celebrating our shortlist of artist-led Canadian collaboration teams and our esteemed jury. Take a few minutes to check it out HERE.
Press: Thank you Toronto Star
Thank you for our first major article since the announcement of our artist shortlist. The Toronto Star has a special place in our story as in 1980 the paper connected a young journalist, Leslie Scrivener, to Terry Fox when she was assigned to provide ongoing reports of the Marathon of Hope. Through the assignment Leslie formed a meaningful kinship with Terry Fox, and later wrote his biography. Some 38 years later, Leslie and co-lead Geri Berholz are championing the citizen-powered Legacy Art Project, a public space to inspire visitors, ignite passion, spark action and create impact by bringing life to Terry’s legacy of inspiration. This project will honour our past and look to the future. A great article to detail our intention and what to get excited about Toronto!
Find Christopher Hume’s article HERE
BREAKING NEWS! Announcing our Shortlist of Artists and Architects
November 14, 2018, Toronto, ON - The Legacy Art Project (LAPT) proudly announces a short list of five outstanding teams of artists and landscape architects, bringing Toronto one step closer to having a new permanent public art and landscape installation inspired by Terry Fox on Toronto’s Waterfront. This impressive list of Canadian artists has been chosen to create an art expression, including a beautiful public gathering place, that will reflect the values of innovation, perseverance, courage, community engagement and hope which Terry Fox exemplified.
The five finalist teams were selected by the Legacy Art Project Jury from a long list of 40 “Expressions of Interest” submissions, led by seasoned Art Consultant and art expert Rebecca Carbin, Principal of Art + Public Unltd.
“The Jury was thrilled by the calibre of response to this call,” says Rebecca Carbin, the Legacy Art Project’s Art Consultant. “It was very clear that the vision and ambition for the project, to create a site that will inspire people to look to Terry Fox’s legacy and think bigger than themselves, captured artists’ attention and imagination.”
The LAPT Jury is comprised of leading figures in related disciplines of art and design:
Kitty Scott, Curator of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Ontario;
Michael McClelland, Principal, ERA Architects Inc.;
Minaz Asani-Kanji, Manager of Outreach, Park People;
Judy Jarvis, Co-Chair, Partners in Art;
Terry Nicholson, former Director of Economic Development and Culture, City of Toronto;
Gaetane Verna, Director of The Power Plant Centre for Contemporary Art; and
Brenda Webster, Senior Associate, Urban Design, Urban Places Stantec.
The five final creations will be revealed to the public in January 2019. The Jury will then determine the winning artist-led design that will find its home on the picturesque waterfront site located between the Music Garden and the Spadina wetlands.
“Toronto was the turning point in Terry’s cross-Canada journey and the people of Toronto opened their hearts in the most moving ways, showing unprecedented support and commitment to his dream,” says Leslie Scrivener, Terry’s biographer. “Terry’s parents, Betty and Rolly, had always hoped that Toronto would recognize his outstanding contribution and legacy in a permanent way and that is what the Legacy Art Project is all about.”
The short-listed artist-led teams are:
Vancouver born artist Kenneth Lum with Space2Place.
Toronto based artist Jon Sasaki with DTAH
Toronto based Luis Jacob and Adrian Blackwell with Jane Hutton Landscape Architect
Berlin based, Canadian artist Maxwell Stephens with North Design Office
Vancouver based artist Myfanwy MacLeod with Hapa Collaborative
More about The Legacy Art Project
The Legacy Art Project, working with the City of Toronto, will build a permanent public art and landscape installation inspired by Terry Fox’s legacy. The art and landscape design that will be revealed in a juried public art competition will create a setting to inspire visitors, ignite passion, spark action and create impact. Legacy Art Project Toronto and its working group include diverse members of Toronto’s community from business and civic leaders to philanthropists, planners, architects and dedicated volunteers.
To be part of Terry Fox’s Legacy you can help us by making a donation, following us or joining us to learn more at www.terryfoxlegacyproject.com. For more information or to arrange an interview with an artist, Rebecca Carbin or leads of the Legacy Art Project, please contact:
Shari Cogan, CoganPR, shari@coganpr.com
The Benefits of Gifting Securities: Join LAPT today!
It’s that time of year!
Consider joining our citizen-funded initiative to honour Terry’s inspirational legacy permanently on Toronto’s waterfront.
Gifting securities is a cost-effective way to make a donation with a substantial tax incentive. By donating securities, donors pay no tax on capital gains, receive a tax receipt for the fair market value of the securities, and reduce their taxes. The completion of a simple form is all it takes to make an electronic gift of securities to the Toronto Foundation.
The benefits of donating securities include:
• Satisfaction of seeing your gift put to good use today
• A charitable tax receipt
• No capital gains tax paid
Explore this idea at our Fund page at the Toronto Foundation HERE.
Call To Artists! Join us in making history!
INVITATION
Legacy Art Project Toronto is inviting Canadian artists to submit an expression of interest for a permanent public art commission in a landmark location on Toronto’s Waterfront. The Legacy Art Project Toronto...Inspired by Terry Fox is a public art concept that is realized as a fully integrated, art-led landscape. It will become a gathering place which embraces the key concepts of innovation, perseverance, community engagement, interactivity and hope, which Terry Fox exemplified.
In July 2018, Toronto City Council approved allocation of the downtown waterfront site located between the Music Garden and the Spadina Wetlands for Legacy Art Project Toronto...Inspired by Terry Fox. The footprint of this art-led landscape commission will occupy approximately 1/3-1/2 of the available open green space on the identified waterfront site (~1440m2 - 2160m2) and will be synergistic with the existing landscapes on either side of the site, becoming part of a neighbourhood with numerous existing public artworks.
Please see the full call to artists on Akimbo.
